Where to start with our awesome experience with Captain Jon and little Jon at Hawaii Island & Ocean Tours! My family of 4 (for reference, parents in the late 50s/early 60s, sibling and I in late 20s/early 30s) had a blast and saw at least 4 manta rays multiple times, up close and personal (no touching of course!). There are plenty of awesome reviews on the company's other tour that leaves from Keauhou and goes to Manta Village but this tour leaves from Honokohau and can go to either Eel Garden or Manta Village depending on where the mantas are reportedly at for the night. Because there weren't initially any reviews for this tour, we called ahead and spoke with someone on the phone who was super friendly, helpful, and patient in answering all our questions and making us feel more prepared. I would definitely recommend this if you have any questions or concerns. We ultimately chose this tour because of the good price value with only 6 people max per tour (vs other tours are more expensive and have 20+ people per tour) and we were not disappointed!
The boat ride is about 30 minutes and they told us some people get seasick because it can be a little bumpy so we all took Dramamine beforehand and had no issues at all. I can see how a bigger tour/boat might be less bumpy and better suited for older people or very young kids so again, if any concerns, definitely call and ask! However, we had no issues at all (Captain Jon was excellent at navigating through the waves while still making small talk) and enjoyed the ride to the location and back.
We booked the 6 pm tour and got an awesome sunset view. However, even though they give you half wet suits (go to your elbows and knees), the water was still quite chilly so I would recommend wearing a rashguard or something under the wet suit for extra warmth. They provide snorkeling gear but also let you use your own if you want to (and they have anti fog spray!). I appreciated little Jon checking in on us while we were in the water to make sure we were all doing OK and teaching us about the Manta Rays. They are amazing creatures to see so close and so many!!
All in all, I can't say enough great things about our experience with Captain Jon and little Jon and would definitely recommend booking this tour. Mahalo!
P.S. I read in other reviews on multiple manta ray tours (they all generally leave from the same area) that people's cars sometimes get broken into so don't leave any valuables visible!
Відповідь від хоста
Apr 2022
Wow...Thank you Yuk Hing for the kinds words and in-depth review. It was a pleasure having your family onboard and I'm glad to hear that you were able to experience the Honokohau Manta Ray Night snorkel with us. I'll let your words, advice and tips stand on their own and say Mahalo for sharing your thoughts. We hope to see you again and Aloha.